By
Associated Press/NWS/National Hurricane Center
Last Updated: Thu, August 21, 2008 - 7:48 pm
state of emergency in Florida to help with Tropical Storm Fay.
Florida Gov. Charlie Crist asked the White House yesterday for
the declaration. It enables federal agencies like the Department of
Homeland Security and Federal Emergency Management Agency to come
in and help.
Fay has soaked Florida for four days, never gaining hurricane
intensity but dumping dozens of inches of rain in some areas.
Severe flooding on Florida's middle Atlantic Coast is being
reported, and some people had to be taken by boat away from their
homes.
Crist had asked for the declaration in 22 Florida counties.
(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
MOBILE, Ala. (AP) - Tropical Storm Fay's possible threat to
south Alabama could bring several days of heavy rain starting
Saturday, improving farmland drought conditions, but causing
flooding.
National Weather Service meteorologist Jeff Garmon in Mobile
says Fay could dump 8-15 inches of rain on the coastal area,
depending on how fast the storm moves, and cause significant
flooding.
The storm's 30-40 mph winds are expected to stir up bay and
offshore waters.
Mobile County Emergency Management Agency Director Walt
Dickerson says EMA officials will meet Friday morning to continue
preparations, with plans to open some storm shelters if needed.
Farmers are concerned that Fay's downpours could rot some cotton
- unless the sun breaks through soon after the storm passes - and
hamper corn harvests.
Cotton expert Dale Monks of the Alabama Cooperative Extension
System says this year's rainfall has improved drought conditions
over the last few years and produced an exceptional soybean crop.
Extension System peanut expert Kris Balkcom says Fay probably
won't damage the peanut crop in southeast Alabama because the
peanuts are not ready to harvest.
He says rain would help them. He said it was dry at planting
time for about eight weeks, but rainfall has been adequate.
(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
Track Fay with the News 5 Storm Team
Latest National Hurricane Center Advisory
000
WTNT31 KNHC 212350
TCPAT1
BULLETIN
TROPICAL STORM FAY INTERMEDIATE ADVISORY NUMBER 25A
NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL AL062008
800 PM EDT THU AUG 21 2008
...FAY DRIFTING WESTWARD NEAR THE NORTHEASTERN FLORIDA COAST...
AT 8 PM EDT...0000 UTC...THE TROPICAL STORM WARNING ALONG THE
FLORIDA EAST COAST SOUTH OF SEBASTIAN INLET HAS BEEN DISCONTINUED.
A TROPICAL STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM SEBASTIAN INLET
FLORIDA NORTHWARD TO THE SAVANNAH RIVER AT THE BORDER BETWEEN
GEORGIA AND SOUTH CAROLINA.
A TROPICAL STORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT ALONG THE FLORIDA GULF
COAST FROM THE SUWANNEE RIVER TO INDIAN PASS.
FOR STORM INFORMATION SPECIFIC TO YOUR AREA...INCLUDING POSSIBLE
INLAND WATCHES AND WARNINGS...PLEASE MONITOR PRODUCTS ISSUED
BY YOUR LOCAL WEATHER OFFICE.
AT 800 PM EDT...0000Z...THE CENTER OF TROPICAL STORM FAY WAS LOCATED
NEAR LATITUDE 29.3 NORTH...LONGITUDE 81.2 WEST...JUST WEST OF
FLAGLER BEACH FLORIDA.
FAY IS DRIFTING TOWARD THE WEST NEAR 2 MPH...4 KM/HR. FAY IS
FORECAST TO MOVE WESTWARD OR WEST-NORTHWESTWARD WITH SOME INCREASE
IN FORWARD SPEED DURING THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS. ON THIS
TRACK...THE CENTER OF FAY IS EXPECTED TO MOVE SLOWLY ACROSS THE
NORTHERN FLORIDA PENINSULA TONIGHT AND EARLY FRIDAY...AND BE VERY
NEAR THE FLORIDA PANHANDLE COAST BY LATE FRIDAY OR EARLY SATURDAY.
MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 60 MPH...95 KM/HR...WITH HIGHER
GUSTS. SOME WEAKENING IS FORECAST DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS...WITH
LITTLE CHANGE IN STRENGTH EXPECTED FRIDAY NIGHT AND SATURDAY.
TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 150 MILES...240 KM
MAINLY TO THE EAST OF THE CENTER.
ESTIMATED MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE IS 993 MB...29.32 INCHES.
FAY IS EXPECTED TO PRODUCE RAINFALL ACCUMULATIONS OF 5 TO 10 INCHES
ACROSS THE CENTRAL TO NORTHERN PORTION OF THE FLORIDA
PENINSULA...INCLUDING THE FLORIDA PANHANDLE...SOUTHERN
GEORGIA...AND SOUTHEASTERN ALABAMA...WITH ISOLATED MAXIMUM AMOUNTS
OF 15 INCHES POSSIBLE. RAINFALL TOTALS OF 2 TO 4 INCHES ARE
POSSIBLE ACROSS THE COASTAL AREAS OF SOUTHERN SOUTH CAROLINA.
ADDITIONAL RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 1 TO 2 INCHES ARE POSSIBLE OVER
SOUTHWEST AND SOUTHERN FLORIDA. ISOLATED STORM TOTAL ACCUMULATIONS
OF 20 TO 30 INCHES HAVE BEEN OBSERVED WITH THIS SYSTEM OVER THE EAST
CENTRAL COASTAL AREAS OF FLORIDA.
STORM SURGE FLOODING OF 1 TO 3 FEET ABOVE NORMAL TIDES IS POSSIBLE
ALONG THE EAST COAST OF FLORIDA AND GEORGIA TO THE NORTH OF THE
CENTER OF FAY.
ISOLATED TORNADOES ARE POSSIBLE TONIGHT OVER PORTIONS OF
NORTHEASTERN FLORIDA AND SOUTHEASTERN GEORGIA.
REPEATING THE 800 PM EDT POSITION...29.3 N...81.2 W. MOVEMENT
TOWARD...WEST NEAR 2 MPH. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS...60 MPH.
MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE...993 MB.
THE NEXT ADVISORY WILL BE ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER AT
1100 PM EDT.
$$
FORECASTER BROWN/KNABB

Santa Rosa Braces For Fay















The cone in the Gulf is widening somewhat isn’t it? I wanted to go to the beach this weekend, to show our new exchange student our sandy white beaches. Guess we’ll stay in instead. Oh well, I guess I can curl up with a good book.